Istanbul Restaurant — Restaurant in Khan Chamkar Mon

Istanbul Restaurant came recommended by a friend and along with the good reviews on google, we decided to try it for dinner on Saturday. Weekend dinners are precious to us so we'd usually prefer to pick a spot that we know is going to be good for sure.

We ordered the etli hummus, fes kebab and lamb guvec.

The etli hummus is good served with spicy tortilla chips and gözleme (Turkish flatbread). The shredded beef gave it a nice smoky flavour. The gözleme however is really flimsy and not crispy, just doesn't feel substantial enough as something to eat the hummus with. Unfortunately, this appetiser is the best dish we've had.

I had wanted to order the chef's sogurmesi which is a roasted eggplant dish served with grilled minced meat, but decided to go for the fes kebab instead since it also comes with eggplants. However I was really disappointed when I couldn't find a single piece of eggplant in it, just red & green peppers. The melted cheese on top was just a small dollop so we have to pull it apart so that we get a bit of cheese on every piece of meat, even so, the cheese isn't enough.

The highlight of our meal was supposedly the lamb guvec. We picked it because on the menu it says it's 'served with a show'. Turns out 'the show' was nothing more than them transferring the meat from a guvec pot to another plate. There were also very few pieces of lamb considering the price of the dish. I also find it strange that this is served on its own without pida bread or rice. We had to separately ask for rice and I used the leftover gözleme from the etli hummus to eat the dish with.

Service staff are nice but they need to be better trained. When asked if the dishes are served with rice or bread, they did not know the answer at all.

I probably wouldn't dine in again, but I guess this place is okay for a simple weekday...

My friend and I went there not knowing what Turkish food is like (except for kebab) , but with a high expectations (pretty high rating!) . So we ordered a platter and a dish that's similar to mac and cheese (please refer to the pictures) The menu has a wide variety of dishes, but the price was set quite high, I think, so we thought ordering the platter would allow us to have a taste of a few dishes. Having taken a bold choice, the other one we believe would be in the safe category. The meal started with bread and butter and it was really disappointing. At first glance, three slices shared between 2 people - speechless. Then it tasted almost like they are stale bread (I would love to believe that it's a particuar kind of bread), but it was honestly not appetising... The platter came, but it was just various dips with some tortillas on the side. Some were dunked in the dips already, but they were seriously burnt - please... There were also a duplication among the dips, overall, we liked only probably half of the dips and think it's definitely not worth the price (I'm afraid I have to bring up Elia's vegetarian platter, the variety is much more pleasant and appetising). As for the other dish, the almost mac and cheese dish, we felt it could use a stronger cheese, as they all just stick together and the minced chicken burger itself was a bit too salty.. Maybe the chef wanted it to complement the slightly bland mac and cheese, but we don't think it works like that.

Still have it a 3 as the staff served us water several times and the environment was decent, doesn't give you any Turkish vibe, but it's clean and bright. Just not sure why if we've ordered the wrong...

Ambiance: The temperature was just right with all the lights and music set to a relaxing tone. It made me feel relaxed after a full day of work. The tables were nicely set and the small fountain and the aquarium were so relaxing as well.

Taste: I cannot say anything negative about the food. It was cooked well as you can savor the “smokey-ness” of the meat. The dips were all delicious as we gobbled up one pita bread after another. I was experiencing food coma after because I was really full after the meal.

Price: At first thought, I thought we will spend over 50$, but when the receipt came, It was only 30$. The price was reasonably cheap but at the same time the quality of the food did not disappoint. Take note, there were two of us, and we were able to take home one whole dish and all of the dips for a hearty breakfast.

Service: the service crew were so nice and considerate. They refill our water when needed, and were always on the lookout if ever we needed something. The manager also went to our table to talk to my husband asking for feedback, or if there is anything they can improve… well, My husband answered that everything was perfect as it is.

Overall: No bias— EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. From the smallest of details to the most major of all, everything was kept to a 100%. It is already our second time in this restaurant.

P.S. I did not have time to take pictures because I was so busy eating once the waiter served our food because the food looks appetizing… so here is a picture of the welcome bread they gave us with the...